On Friday, September 26, 2025, Belize was plunged into widespread darkness as a major power outage swept across the country, disrupting the daily lives of thousands. The incident, which began at 1:52 p.m., was triggered by a system collapse in the Yucatan Peninsula that severed Belize’s critical electricity supply from Mexico’s Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE). At the time, CFE was providing a hefty 46 percent of Belize’s total electricity demand, making the sudden loss a severe blow to the nation’s energy grid, according to BreakingBelizeNews.com.
The blackout’s reach was extensive, affecting nearly every service area in Belize. Only Belmopan, Ladyville, and pockets of San Ignacio and the rural Belize District managed to keep their lights on throughout the ordeal, as confirmed by BEL’s detailed public statements. For the rest of the country, the outage was immediate and jarring, underscoring the nation’s reliance on imported electricity and the vulnerabilities that come with it.
As the crisis unfolded, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) sprang into action. The company’s grid protection systems kicked in, initiating emergency load shedding—a process that involves selectively cutting power to various parts of the grid to prevent a total system collapse. This measure was not taken lightly. BEL explained in its press release that “the current available in-country capacity is insufficient to meet the power requirements (demand) of our customers. BEL is, therefore, preparing to address the impacts of the resulting supply shortage.”
What exactly went wrong on the other side of the border? According to a statement by CFE, the failure in Mexico wasn’t a minor hiccup. “An electrical failure occurred that affected 2,262,000 users in the states of Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo.” The domino effect was swift, causing nine power plants in southeast Mexico to shut down. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that “a failure in an electricity transmission line in the southeast caused a blackout,” but she later announced that power had been restored to the affected Mexican states.
Back in Belize, the loss of Mexican supply left BEL scrambling to fill the gap. The company’s in-country resources—namely the Westlake Gas Turbine and the Fortis Belize and Hydro Maya hydroelectric plants—provided some support, but it wasn’t enough to meet soaring afternoon energy demands. In fact, during the peak hours from afternoon through midnight, local generation capacity was outstripped by as much as 17 percent. To help manage the shortfall, BEL quickly brought the San Pedro Gas Turbine online. Both the San Pedro and Westlake turbines were run at full tilt until the system stabilized.
The restoration efforts were nothing short of a race against time. BEL managed to restore power to the entirety of Belize City within an hour—a feat that required coordinated teamwork and technical know-how. However, the rest of the country was not so lucky. Rotational load shedding persisted throughout the evening, with different areas experiencing temporary outages until the supply from CFE was finally reinstated at 11:30 p.m.
This wasn’t the first time Belizeans had to endure rotating blackouts. As noted in BreakingBelizeNews.com and other local outlets, last year also saw a series of load shedding events designed to keep the national grid stable during periods of high demand and constrained supply. But this latest outage was particularly severe, exposing several weak spots in Belize’s energy infrastructure.
So, what made the country so vulnerable this time? The answer lies in a combination of seasonal and maintenance factors. During the sugar off-season, bagasse-based generation—electricity produced from sugarcane residue—is unavailable. This removes a key pillar of Belize’s local energy supply. On top of that, one unit at the Mollejon hydro dam is out of service for maintenance until mid-October, and one unit at BAPCOL is indefinitely offline. The remaining two BAPCOL units, meanwhile, are running at reduced capacity. The result is a perfect storm: less local generation just when it’s needed most.
BEL has been candid about these challenges in its communications with the public. In its press release, the utility provider extended gratitude to both its employees and customers. “We extend our sincere thanks to all our employees for their dedication, especially our System Control team and Gas Turbine operators who worked tirelessly during the event,” stated BEL. The company also thanked its customers “for your patience and understanding as we remain committed to providing safe, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions to you.”
Looking ahead, BEL is under no illusions about the need for change. The company is actively exploring a suite of long-term solutions to reduce its dependence on imported electricity and shore up local supply. These measures include utility-scale solar projects, distributed generation (where power is produced closer to where it’s used), and battery storage initiatives. BEL has also signaled its intention to invest in natural gas and to promote demand-side management—encouraging customers to use electricity more efficiently, especially during peak times.
“While our Gas Turbines have helped to address immediate needs, the long-term solution must necessarily include utility-scale solar, distributed generation, battery storage, natural gas, and initiatives to promote demand-side management,” BEL explained in its statement. The company has also promised to keep the public informed through its BEL 24-7 app and dedicated customer service lines.
For now, BEL urges Belizeans to be mindful of their electricity use as the country continues to navigate the fallout from the recent outage. The company’s message is clear: conservation is not just a short-term fix, but part of a broader strategy to ensure the stability and resilience of Belize’s power grid.
The events of September 26, 2025, serve as a sobering reminder of the interconnectedness of regional energy systems—and the risks that come with heavy reliance on external suppliers. As Belize moves forward, the lessons learned from this blackout will likely shape the nation’s energy strategy for years to come, with a renewed focus on self-sufficiency, resilience, and sustainability.
